Thinking about studying abroad for a J-Term, summer, full semester, or yearlong program? Drake has a new application system that will now let you search for study abroad programs by term, subject, and location to make finding the perfect program easier for you. To start the search, visit www.drake.edu/studyabroad.
—Breanne Ellis, Education Abroad Advisor
Are you going to a Spanish speaking country during J-Term or next spring? Would you like to begin learning a few words in Spanish for an upcoming study abroad semester or travel seminar? Do you want or need to keep up your foreign language fluency? Drake’s Department of World Languages and Cultures wants to help.
Spanish Conversation Hours are scheduled three times a week this semester: Mondays, noon–1 p.m.; Wednesdays, 2–3 p.m.; and Wednesdays, 4–5 p.m. in Meredith 204.
All levels of Spanish speakers from all areas of the Drake community are welcome. The group warmly supports all participants with an opportunity to practice Spanish; no long-term commitment is required to attend. A native speaker facilitates the conversation in Spanish in a fun and casual setting.
For further information, contact Assistant Professor Inbal Mazar at inbal.mazar@drake.edu
—Drake International
The Drake Writing Internships program is pleased to again offer the free Fundamentals and Introduction to Grant Writing workshop to students on Friday, Sept. 23, 1–4 p.m. in Aliber Hall, Room 108. Perfect for students seeking pre-professional development or for those students who have personal projects or aspirations that require funding, this workshop fills up quickly! Register for your spot by emailing Lisa Boes (lisa.boes@drake.edu) no later than Monday, Sept. 19.
—Carol Spaulding-Kruse, Professor of English
The Activities Fair is tomorrow, Sept. 13, in Upper Olmsted from 4 to 7 p.m. Student organizations and activities will be handing out information about their groups. Stop by and sign up for a group or two!
—Kodee Wright, Coordinator, Student Activities and Organizations
Drake is forming a Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Student Advisory Committee and is looking for at-large members. The purpose of the committee is to open up communications between students and the staff most closely involved in matters related to sexual and interpersonal misconduct on campus. The staff who will be involved include the Title IX coordinator, dean of students, and the new prevention coordinator (once hired), as well as staff from Drake Public Safety and Residence Life.
The committee will have representatives from the following groups: Student Senate, Unity Roundtable, Residence Hall Association, Drake Athletics, Fraternity and Sorority Life, graduate/professional programs, and 4–5 at-large positions.
If you are interested in serving in one of the at-large positions, please contact Title IX Coordinator Katie Overberg at titleix@drake.edu by Sept. 30. You can also contact Katie with any questions about the new advisory committee.
—Katie Overberg
For those students with meal plans that allow for meal conversions, you can convert meals on the following dates this fall:
Students on the 335- and 195-block plans can convert up to 100 meals each semester to flex dollars. To convert meals, you can stop at the Student Services Center and fill out a form to indicate how many meals you would like to convert. You can also visit www.drake.edu/studentservices/mealplans to find the form at the bottom of the page titled “Meal Plan Conversions.”
—Jerry Parker, Interim Dean of Students
Through the help of our community partners, professional advocates are holding regular office hours on campus this academic year. The advocates are available in Cowles Library, Room 109 on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
An advocate is a confidential resource who can provide support, talk through options, and address concerns related to sexual misconduct or dating/domestic violence or stalking. These confidential advocates are not Drake employees and are not required to report any details to the University or to law enforcement.
In addition, confidential student advocates through VIP (Violence Intervention Partner) are always available 24/7 by phone or text at 515-512-2972.
Confidential advocates are also available through Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services at 515-286-3600—they can meet you on or off campus at your convenience.
Please send any questions to prevention@drake.edu or titleix@drake.edu, or contact the Title IX coordinator directly at 515-271-2982.
—Katie Overberg, Title IX Coordinator
Welcome to a new school year! Last week was a flurry of activity on campus as first-year and transfer students started their Drake experience with Welcome Weekend. Many on campus did some heavy lifting during Move-in Day—thanks to those who volunteered their time—and we formally welcomed our new students at Convocation on Friday.
While campus is typically “quiet” during the summer with all the students gone, it is always a busy time for the University as we prepare for the next school year. In July, we welcomed Sue Mattison as our new Provost. Sue has already proven herself to be a great fit with Drake and someone who will provide valuable leadership and expertise into how we continue to improve our exceptional education experience.
At the beginning of the summer, we officially adopted the Drake University Statement on Diversity and Inclusion, which you can find online. This is an important step in our efforts to creating a welcoming campus environment and was born out of the Campus Climate Assessment, which many of you participated in during the last academic year. More than 300 faculty, staff, and students helped craft this statement, making it one that truly represents the aspirations and values of our campus community.
You have probably noticed by now that we made significant progress on both the Science Connector Building and Collier-Scripps Hall over the summer. The steel structure for the Science Connector Building is complete, giving us a real picture of that facility’s footprint and scale. You will see the steel structure start to take shape at Collier-Scripps over the next several weeks. And while the walls and floors are not yet up, we’re already thinking about the furniture that will go into both buildings. The STEM@DRAKE steering team will be working with faculty, staff, and students to ensure broad input into the configuration of classrooms, collaborative spaces, and offices.
We have a very exciting year to anticipate. In September alone you’ll find countless ways to enjoy our campus community. This weekend, you can cheer on the football team at their first home game of the year on Saturday at 6 p.m. Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will speak on “The Child Labor Epidemic: A Pattern of Poverty & Illiteracy” on Sept. 19 as part of the Sussman Lecture series. On Sept. 21, Dan Alexander, professor of mathematics, will give the Stalnaker Lecture on “Tree Bites Man: What I Wish I Knew about the History of Mathematics.” And, we can look forward to a performance by our two jazz ensembles on Sept. 24, part of the Parents and Family Weekend festivities.
Good luck during your first week of classes!
—Marty Martin
It’s time to welcome a new crop of Bulldogs to Drake University once again! SAB will be hosting three different events during Welcome Weekend.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, The Well Reds will be performing in the Olmsted Center pit at 9 p.m.
To kick the start of the weekend off, Free Movie Friday begins again on the 26.Kevin Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Central Intelligence will be playing at Drake stadium starting at 9 p.m.
Finally on Saturday, Aug. 27, student favorite hypnotist Christ Jones will be back for another year with a show in Parents Hall (Olmsted Center) starting at 9:30 p.m. You do not want to miss that! SAB cannot wait to start the year right with all of you.
—Hannah Olson
Stop by the northwest side of the Cowles Library lawn on Monday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to cool off with a popsicle and meet library faculty and staff!
—Leslie Noble, Assistant to the Dean and Manager, Library Support Operations
